


Diving In

by thebrightestbird



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, background Kimberly/Trini, team fic, wistful Jason/Kimberly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 00:37:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11002305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebrightestbird/pseuds/thebrightestbird
Summary: “My point is that we all love each other fiercely but in distinct and special ways. Zack and Jason are the holdouts.” “What should their relationship be?” “Well, they’re not just bros, that’s for sure.”What's the best way to get two of your best friends to hook up? Trini and Billy have a plan.Team fic with Trini/Billy bonding, Zack showing off, Jason getting flustered, and Kimberly supporting them and loving every crazy moment.





	Diving In

“Billy!”

The Blue Ranger sits at attention hearing Trini’s voice. She gallops down the stairs of his basement and promptly plops down on the seat next to him.

“I need your help,” she says, seriously.

“What’s wrong?”

Trini leans closer to him. “We have a mission.”

“Ranger-related?”

“No, romantic-related.”

Dread descends on him. “But I already rigged Kim’s phone to have you on speed dial for every number.”

“Not romantically related to me.”

Billy spreads his arms in a helpless gesture.

“Okay, so you know Zack’s my bro. I mean, you and Jason are my friends, but Zack’s my bro. We’re ride or die.”

“You wouldn’t die for any of us?”

“Yes, of course I would. But Zack and I are the kind of friends who would probably die for each other in the dumbest but funnest way possible. Therefore, he’s my bro.”

Okay, sure, that makes sense.

“And Jason’s your bro but in the more serious sense since you actually did die, and Jason will gut anyone who even breathes funny in your direction.”

Billy wouldn’t put it quite like that, but he gets Trini’s nuanced description of their friendship. “What about Kimberly?”

“Kim’s bae.”

“… In general?”

“Yes, she is bae to all of us, but she is Bae with a capital ‘B’ for me.”

Billy has issues with patience, and it’s almost run out. “Trini, please? What’s going on?”

“My point is that we all love each other fiercely but in distinct and special ways. Zack and Jason are the holdouts.”

“What should their relationship be?”

“Well, they’re not just bros, that’s for sure.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Everything is a competition with them. They always race each other through the water entrance of the command center. They spar to the point of exhaustion. The last time we fought Putties, they challenged each other to a strange stacking competition with their remnants like they were Jenga pieces.”

That’s all very true, Billy can agree. “But how does that mean they like each other beyond being friends?”

“Billy,” she says, with a duh expression, “they’re showing off for each other. They’re oblivious but hormonal and are lashing out in the dumbest ways possible.”

“So, what do we do?”

“I was thinking we should lock them together in one of the rooms of the spaceship and let nature take its course.”

“They’d just break the door. We’re strong, remember?”

“You’re right. Damn. Then what, Billy? Come on, you’re the brains of this operation. And the heart … and a leg.”

Billy appreciates Trini’s compliment. He loves being a Power Ranger, not only for the dope powers and cool tech, but also for the amazing support and friendship it's brought him. That kicks his brain into a more sentimental, squishy place, allowing him to think of something to help with their current dilemma. “We’re assuming the attraction is both physical and romantic?”

“Oh, yeah. Once those two get their acts together, they won’t stop touching each other. It’ll be nauseating.”

“Then we have to get them in a place that requires little clothing.”

 _Of course_ , Trini thinks. “Make them play strip poker?”

“No, no. Zack cheats and Jason has a legit poker face.” Billy runs over all the facts one more time, and it hits him. “Swimming! We go someplace to swim!”

“Yessss! Okay, where could we go? Not a public swimming pool. Too many innocent bystanders.”

“Right. Zack would probably accidentally displace a few kids from the water by cannonballing,” Billy says, “and laugh about it.”

“Oh!” Trini shouts. “The lake by the quarry where Kim likes to dive. It can be just the five of us.”

Billy claps in approval. “Team bonding by the lake! I’ll bring the mini-grill for burgers.”

“Cool. I’ll bring the boys and the Bae.”

||

“This was a great idea, Trini,” Jason says. He’s tending to the grill.

Billy and Trini look at each other triumphantly.

Kimberly rolls her eyes at them. She knows their plan. She supports their plan. But she’s waiting for results.

Zack’s up on the cliff about to dive. Diving from a great height into a pool of water is a piece of cake for all of them now, but it hasn’t lost its fun. “Yo, guys!” he yells. “Watch me do a triple axel!”

“That’s figure skating!” Billy corrects.

“Whatever!” And Zack dives. He does a few flips and enters the water with very little splash. Kim would give it an 8.5. When his head pops out of the water, the teens give him bored looks and polite golf claps. Zack flips them off.

He uses his Ranger strength to swim quickly toward them, so all eyes are still locked in his direction as he emerges from the water. It’s an odd combination of grace and power they’re seeing as Zack rises, water arching behind him as he fully stands. His head whips side to side, shaking more water from him, and he brings a hand up to run through his hair, giving the Rangers a look at the muscular arm. Zack’s wearing simple black swim trunks that are clinging to him, rising a bit as he walks fully out of the water. They’re a stark contrast to the glistening, pale torso and strong limbs.

Jason lets out a breathless “damn.”

The teammates turn their attention to him suddenly, with Zack, who was ~~maybe~~ ~~probably~~ definitely putting on a show, giving the smuggest smile.

Jason panics. “Damn … it, do you wanna get the grill wet and ruin our lunch, Zack?!”

“Oh, I think you’re doing a fine job of that on your own, team leader,” he says, smug intensifying. “The burgers are burning.”

Jason looks down. “Shit, shit, shit! Kim, plates!”

They salvage the burgers, and Jason keeps his focus on the food and grabs the buns to lightly toast, purposefully not looking up at anyone, especially Zack.

“You need help?” Zack asks.

“No, just dry off, Aquaman. They’ll be ready in a minute.”

“You sure? Because who knows more about hot buns than someone who already has them?”

The team collectively groans, and Jason can’t resist looking back up at him in disbelief at the terrible joke. Zack gives him a cheeky smile, breaking the tension. The smile turns dopey, matching the one on Jason’s face, and the two just stare at each other for a few seconds like that.

“Uh, Jason?” Billy interrupts. “Buns?”

“Double shit!” Jason drops one of the buns on the ground and stomps the fire out.

Zack laughs and walks to his gym bag to fetch his towel. “I’ll leave you to it, grill master.”

||

Jason knows something’s going on. Billy’s been giving him goofy grins and random, supportive thumbs up throughout the day. Trini made him change swim trunks twice before he could leave his house to pick up Zack. She also encouraged him to not wear a shirt at all. (“Trini, I know we’re going swimming, but I’m not driving through Angel Grove shirtless.” “It might get you back into the community’s good graces,” Billy reasons. “That’s sound logic,” Trini agrees. He still said no.)

Whatever was up between Trini and Billy, Zack didn’t seem to be in on it, but Jason had his suspicions because he apparently got the same advice from Trini and actually took it. (“Put a shirt on, Zack!” “It’ll cut back on laundry,” Billy reasons, again. “Yeah, totally,” Trini agrees, again. The two fist bump.)

Kim probably knows what’s going on, but she doesn’t seem actively part of it, so Jason prepares her veggie burger first. He’s doing this out of spite for the others, but also he doesn’t want to screw Kim over by accidentally giving her beef. He’s already wrecked enough of their food by being distracted.

The chatter was light, mostly they focused on filling their stomachs and let the country music from Billy’s iPhone fill in the silences. Jason caught himself staring at Zack a lot, and sometimes he’d catch Zack staring right back. It added a strange thrill to an otherwise sedate lunch by a beautiful lake.

When they’re finished, Zack’s already bouncing back to his feet. “Let’s get back in the water!”

“Shouldn’t we wait like 30 minutes after eating?” Billy asks.

“Dude, we’re Power Rangers. Pretty sure we don’t have to worry about cramping.”

Billy can’t argue with the Power Rangers defense, so he takes off his shirt and goes to the water.

“You too, Crazy Girl,” Zack says right before picking Trini up in a firefighter’s carry.

Predictably, she screams and threatens to eviscerate him with her power daggers. He just dumps her in the water.

“Pink! Red! Get the hell in here!”

“In a minute!” Kim yells. “We’re just going to clean up some!”

Jason’s already put all the trash in the bag. As he finishes, he turns around to find Kimberly right in his face.

“You figured it out yet?” she asks.

He slumps his shoulders. “I’m a dense ex-jock. Please just tell me.”

“Oh, no, great leader of an elite legion of warriors, you can work this one out. It’s not like Billy and Trini have been subtle today.”

Jason looks out at the water. He expected to see his teammates splashing and teasing each other, but it looks like the three are having a conversation. “Zack? This has something to do with Zack?”

“That’s one part of it,” Kim says, gently.

He focuses on the Black Ranger then. The water’s matted his usually spiked-up hair. Zack doesn’t have much money, so he takes great care in looking good to compensate. He won’t ever accept being looked upon with pity. Jason admires him so much. He usually doesn’t let himself look this long because the longer he looks, the more the admiration morphs (and yes, he tends to use that word more often now).

“Me and Zack? This is about me and Zack.”

Kimberly simply smiles.

“You all are trying to hook us up?”

“Well, they are. I trusted you to figure it out on your own time like I did with Trini.”

Jason looks at her with disbelief.

“What?”

“Kim, it took Trini almost getting blown up by one of Rita’s goons before you kissed her.”

“She wasn’t exactly upfront with her feelings before!”

“It was so obvious though. If it was pink and cute, she bought it for you. She punched Ty Fleming yet again. She spiked Harper and Amanda’s shampoo with purple dye. She would sit on your lap even when there were seats available …”

Kim slaps her hand against Jason’s mouth. “Okay, enough! I guess we’re both dense ex-jocks.”

She can feel him smile against her hand.

“Are you gonna do something about it?”

He licks her hand.

“Ew!” she yelps. “Not what I meant.”

Jason laughs. “I know what you’re talking about.” He looks back at the water again. “It’s strange though.”

“What is?”

“How I keep ending up with attractive people here.” He pointedly looks back at Kimberly then.

She gets his meaning. “Right, the night we found the power coins.”

“I was going to do it. I was going to run away with you.”

Kim looks at him, all fondness. “Imagine how different things would be if we had met even 10 minutes earlier.” Because she would have gone with Jason too.

“Now we gotta worry about those three out there, a spaceship underground, a father figure in a wall, a sarcastic robot, and the fate of the world.”

“Fate’s funny,” Kim muses. She kisses the Red Ranger sweetly on the cheek. “Now quit stalling and go get your boy before he somehow finds trouble out there and drags the rest of them with him.”

Jason doesn’t need any more motivation. He strips his shirt off and heads toward the water.

Kim lets herself stare.

||

“Get your head out of your ass, Zack.”

Billy wouldn’t have chosen that wording, but … “Yeah, what Trini said.”

Zack splashes water in their direction in retaliation. “Why’s it gotta be now?”

“You have his attention. It’s a beautiful day in a beautiful place, and you’re both half-naked. There is no better time for you two to get your shit together and drop the ‘b’ from your bromance.”

Zack scowls at his best friend but gives Billy a gentler look. “What about you, dude?”

“What about me?”

“Are you okay with me and Jason?”

Billy shows his confusion. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You two are pretty tight. He put sugar in the ginger bully’s gas tank after he tried messing with you again.”

“That was Jason?” Trini asks. “Nice.”

“And I see you hold hands and whisper sometimes,” Zack continues.

“Nah, man. All that’s to help me focus. You know, when things get to be too much.” Billy worries suddenly. “Is that going to be a problem? Would you want him to stop?”

“No! No, B! Of course not. That’s your thing. That’s something special between you two. I would never try to break you guys apart. That’s why I was so worried about starting anything with him. I don’t want to mess us up. Any of us.”

Trini had suspected as much. “Did me and Kim mess any of us up?”

He thinks back. “Well, no. We still hang all the time, and Kim still uses my face to try makeup techniques.”

“Exactly, you freakishly good-bone-structured idiot.”

Billy laughs. “Trini’s right. We’re cool.” He notices Jason swimming toward them. “Hey, Jason! Good timing!”

Trini looks at Billy, and they nod together in understanding. “Yeah, Red. Billy and I are getting pruney. Keep the king of Atlantis company.” She gives Zack one last encouraging look before swimming off.

The duo gives Jason pointed looks as they swim past, with Billy brushing a hand over his shoulder.

He looks at Zack. “I guess you got ‘The Talk’ too.”

Zack looks flushed. Whether it’s from the effort of keeping himself afloat or just Jason’s presence and the topic they’re about to face, well, it doesn’t matter. He looks healthy and glowy and alive. Jason’s grateful to see it.

“Yeah, my talk probably involved a lot more insults.”

“That mouth on Billy,” Jason says. “He’s gotta learn to quit cursing so much.”

Zack laughs, and it helps cut through his nerves. “What can I do for you, boss man?” he asks, softly.

“Can I …” Jason moves his hand in Zack’s direction, indicating he wants to get closer.

Zack simply nods.

In a split second, Jason is in his space, arms encircling him. Zack reflexively brings his arms around Jason’s neck.

And that’s where they first kiss. It’s wet and soft, a little bumpy because kissing while floating is harder than movies make it seem. They’re moaning and gasping, and it’s the hottest, most important kiss of their lives.

When they stop to breathe, they keep holding on to each other, foreheads touching.

“What the fuck took us so long?” Zack asks.

“I dunno,” Jason says, breathlessly. “There was training, a gold monster, an evil villainess, homework …”

Zack lightly smacks him in the back of the head to make him stop.

Jason grins. “But I’m ready to make up for lost time.” He goes in for another kiss, but Zack stops him.

“I am all for that, really, but I think we need to get out of here. Even Aquaman spends time out of the water.”

Jason looks around them. “Let’s go to that inlet. We can sit and be alone for a little longer.”

Zack looks at where he’s pointing. He puts on a devious smile. “Race you!”

And he’s off.

Jason is not completely surprised by the challenge (because he was going to do the same) and quickly catches up.

It’s basically a tie, but … “I win!” Zack declares.

“Like hell, man!” Jason dunks Zack’s head under the water.

On the other side of the lake, the Yellow Ranger and the Blue Ranger congratulate themselves with a high five. The Pink Ranger, meanwhile, hugs her girlfriend from behind and silently gives thanks to that funny thing called fate.

-end-

**Author's Note:**

> Ludi Lin getting a role in "Aquaman" is what inspired this fic, hence all the references. Excited for him!


End file.
